Notes: Garcia stands by self-critical comments

Notes: Garcia stands by self-critical comments

AUGUSTA, Ga. – In an interview with Spanish media on Saturday night, Sergio Garcia said “I’m not good enough” to win a major.

Was it simply frustration after a 3-over 75 knocked him out of contention? No, not according to his terse post-round interview after a 1-under 71 on Sunday.

Aaron Baddeley, of Australia, hits out of the rough off the first fairway during the fourth round of the Masters.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, of Spain, hits off the first fairway during the fourth round of the Masters.

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits out of a bunker on the second hole during the fourth round of the Masters.

Louis Oosthuizen, of South Africa, throws his ball to a spectator after hitting a double-eagle two on the par 5 second hole during the fourth round of the Masters.

Matt Kuchar holds up his ball after a birdie putt on the 13th hole during the fourth round of the Masters.

“Do you think I lie when I talk?” asked Garcia. “Everything I say, I say it because I feel it. If I didn’t mean it, I couldn’t stand here and lie like a lot of the guys do. If I felt like I could win, I would do it. Unfortunately at the moment, unless I get really lucky in one of the weeks, I can’t really play much better than I played this week and I’m going to finish 13th or 15th.”

This week marks Garcia’s 14th Masters appearnce. His best finish was a tie for fourth in 2004, when he closed with 66. Since then, he has missed the cut three times and not finished better than a tie for 35th.

Garcia has had some close calls at majors. He was a runner-up to Tiger Woods at the 1999 PGA Championship, lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington at the 2007 Open Championship and tied for second behind Harrington at the 2008 PGA.

And what if he finishes his career without a major?

“I could live without majors,” he said on Saturday. “I have no more options … tell me something I can do.”

So what does Garcia think he is missing?

“Everything.”

• • •

GOING LOW: Augusta National yielded some unusual scores on Sunday, and they weren’t the negative kind.

The loudest? Definitely Louis Oosthuizen’s incredible albatross at the par-5 second, which saw the ball run from the front of the green all the way to the back before dropping. It was the first double-eagle at No. 2 in Masters history and only the fourth overall.

The unexpected? Two aces separated by about 90 minutes at the par-3 16th hole. Bo Van Pelt did it first, capping off an 8-under 64 to move from 7 over to 1 under in the tournament. Aussie Adam Scott was the second to do it, and the ace vaulted him into the top 10. He finished at 4 under despite an opening-round 75.